Settlers and Pioneers
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The principal organised migration of Irish people to New Zealand was that of the pioneers of Katikati, Tauranga, in 1875-78. This was a body, or rather two
bodies, of North of Ireland men and women organised and brought out by George Vesey Stewart, of County Tyrone, a man of energy, courage, and imagination. He induced the Government to make two blocks each of 10,000 acres available, as free grants of forty acres for each adult settler.
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Bullock Team
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A Pioneer Clearing
Several hundreds of an excellent class of colonists, all from Ulster, were brought in the ships Carisbrooke Castle, Dover Castle, Lady Jocelyn , and Halcione. Many of the pioneers were men of high ability in various fields of life; all were a valuable contribution to the colony's population.
Some of the land allotted to them on the Tauranga shores was not of the best quality, but the Katikati settlements and farms were soon scenes of industry and comfortable homes.